A NUN'S LOVER

[Georgin, François (engraver)]: Histoire de Damon et Henriette. Fabrique de Pellerin, Imprimeur-Libraire, à Épinal [c. 1825-30].

This illustrated song print, which plays with the tension between the vows of lovers and nuns, was produced at the famous Imagerie d’Épinal. Founded 1796 by Jean-Charles Pellerin, this French printing house produced influential popular prints. The song recounts the story of Damon and Henriette, who wanted to marry but were forbidden to so by her father. Henriette’s father sends his daughter to a convent; she initially refuses to take the habit but does so when she erroneously believes Damon is dead. For seven years, Damon searches for Henriette—is taken captive in Turkey—and eventually finds and marries her. 

The central image depicts Damon entering a convent on his search. The Imagerie d’Épinal produced another version of the Histoire de Damon et Henriette using the same image (cf. Musée national de l’Éducation), and they produced at least one more version with a different image. Such prints were reportedly displayed in the home and sung at wakes: ‘one sung […] Damon et Henriette, which an image d’Epinal, stuck to the wall, detailed the dramatic [...] history’ (Hopkin 2003, p. 49). 

Details

Coloured wood engraving, 41.5 x 63 cms overall (illustration 30 x 46 cms), verso blank. 32 verses in French arranged around three sides of the illustration. Artist’s initials to base of column. Well preserved copy with wide margins (light browning to paper, some fraying to right margin, one very small hole not affecting text, crease at centre). ‘121’ printed in lower right-hand corner (not always present, but cf. Musée Carnavalet copy). Outside mainland Europe, we find only one copy of this print (Philadelphia Museum of Art). Hopkin, David M., Soldier and Peasant in French Popular Culture, 1766-1870 (Woodbridge, Boydell, 2003), pp. 48-49, 327.